"We still have a few more good opportunities to get that right" - Chris Hamilton disappointed by DSM's sprint set-up on opening stage of the Tour Down Under
Cycling
With the 2024 road season having gotten underway at the Tour Down Under, it's time to see whose preparations have been best over the off-season. For Team DSM-Firmenich Post NL, it wasn't an ideal opening stage.
“It was a very hot day to get the race started here in Australia," reflected Team DSM-Firmenich Post NL's experienced road captain, Chris Hamilton post-stage to his team's official website. "The main objective for the day was to keep Oscar safe and out of trouble which we did."
One of the team's new signings over the off-season is Emils Liepins with team bosses at DSM believing the Latvian national champion can develop into a race-winning sprinter. With stage 1 of the 2024 Tour Down Under going all the way to a bunch sprint finale, this was the first tester of the Liepins-sprint star theory. Sadly, 24th was all he could manage as former DSM man Sam Welsford took the spoils.
"In the finale we wanted to set up the sprint with Emils, but unfortunately that didn’t quite go to plan," Hamilton admits. Nevertheless, he remains optimistic. "We still have a few more good opportunities to get that right here and the guys are motivated for that and the other chances throughout the week.”
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- Tis beyond your comprehension fine sir so best not to look on with blind eyes to THE GOATS greatness.
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Rafionain-Glas09-11-2026 - again, nothing is going to be resolved. it is a discussion board. I simply said I didn't see how MS impeded LBs sprint. the UCI doesn't care about my thoughts, and I am really not that emotionally invested in it.mij09-11-2026
- provoke change, lol. this is a discussion board. nothing is going to change by what I say here. just commenting that it didn't look like MS impeded Brand. beyond that not trying to go too deep.mij09-11-2026
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A fast finale in Tanunda ⚡️ Go #InsideOut from the opening day at the #TourDownUnder🇦🇺 where the team kept each other safe before a hectic sprint finish, with our daily gallery.👇🏻 📸 @ChrisAuldPhoto / @therussellellis
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